CROOK

Dandy Dandy Dandelions!

“I just wait here in the tall, green grass, ’till the children come to play.”

O Dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all night?

“I wait and wait, while the cool dew falls, and my hair grows long and white.”

And what do you do when your hair grows white, and the children come to play?

“They take me in their dimpled hands, and blow my hair away!”

Author Unknown

I first heard this poem in Morning Playgroup with my daughter when she was barely 2 years old. It's been a favorite ever since. We call them Dandy-Suns when they are yellow and Wishers when they're white.

There are so many ways to use these little plants, this post would be enormous if I tried to cram it all in. Instead I am going to share our favorite Dandelion uses; a powerful herbal remedy, a few recipes and a craft.

We headed over to The Growing Experience (where we spent Earth Day) and asked Jimmy if we could harvest dandelions. This farm uses no sprays and is off the main road....perfect spot for dandelions. We helped him weed the farm and he helped us get some gorgeous dandelions. Thank you Jimmy!

**Side Note**
Now would be where I tell you...no camera, of course. Not because I forgot it this time, but because it's broken. :( The lens needs servicing and I wont get it back for a few days...hopefully before baby comes! In the mean time I am using my iPhone and my mom's little camera, sigh, I miss my camera. So, please excuse the lack and quality of pictures.

Herbal medicine is amazing. We can take something as simple, plain and abundant as a dandelion and create powerful, healing remedies. Dandelion is well known for it's nutritional value. It is particularly rich in beta-carotene (creates Vitamin A), fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, and are a good source of protein (hence why we use them in our smoothies!). It is what we call a nourishing herb.
It is also considered a safe herb as it has almost no negative side effects. Some people may develop a skin rash, just like you would if you were allergic to any other "food".
(**Reminding you now to read my disclaimer at the bottom of the blog...ok that's that then**)

So what do you use Dandelion tincture for?

Mostly as a detoxifying tonic. It stimulates cell metabolism and the liver, acting as a blood purifier. It also stimulates the kidneys and is a safe, effective diuretic that does not deplete your body of it's precious potassium. These two actions create the perfect environment for the body to cleanse and detoxify itself. It can help with the prevention of gallstones since it activates the gallbladder and allows it to do it's job well. The bitters found in dandelion can aid in poor digestion, gas, nausea and constipation.

All that in a common weed? Yes! Go out into your backyard and start harvesting.

When preparing a fresh dandelion tincture, I use the flower, root and leaves, although some people use just the root. I feel the whole plant has something to give. There are different constituents in the root, leaves and flowers that will work together to create a good remedy. I also use a simple folk method when tincturing fresh herbs. The tincture we made today has only root and leaves though since we used all the petals for our cookies and vinegar!

Try not to get the whole plant all wet as we do not want to introduce more water than we have to. Chop the plants up into small pieces and fill your mason jar to the top. Then take the plant material out and put it in a blender with about 1 cup of the alcohol.

Blend it up for a good long minute. This allows the plant material to be totally exposed to the alcohol. Pour it back into the mason jar and top it off with alcohol, all the way to the rim of the jar. Lay your wax paper over the top and cap tightly. Store it on the kitchen counter out of direct sunlight. Come by and shake it every day for a minute or two. Think about how good it will be for your body! After 2 weeks has passed it's ready to be pressed. Lay unbleached cotton muslin over a sieve and pour the contents out into a bowl. Wrap up the plant material in the cheesecloth and squeeze all the juicy goodness out of it. Got it all out? Great! Now bottle, cap and label your Fresh Dandelion Tincture. It's shelf stable for many years, no need to refrigerate it.
Take 3-4 dropperfuls 3 times a day as a tonic, or when you now your body needs a little "spring cleaning".

*I'll update this post with pictures in 2 weeks when I press my tincture*

1/2 cup dandelion flower petals - be sure to remove them completely from the green collar, it's very bitter

3 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon

1 Tbs lemon Zest

1/4 cup coconut oil (slightly warmed in the sun)

1/2 cup dried unsweetened raw coconut

1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla beans seeds scooped out

dash of sea salt

Put all ingredients in your food processor except the dandelion petals. Process until smooth. Stir dandelion petals in by hand.

Then drop into cookie mounds on a lined dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate at 115 for about 5-6 hours, then flip cookies and dehydrate another few hours or until desired consistency. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a chewy hard cookie, or store on the counter in an airtight container for a moist cookie. If you still want to make these and don't mind them not being "Raw", these could probably be made in an oven on low heat (maybe 300 degrees) for a few hours. Just keep checking on them.

Of course someone was there to lick the bowl clean...

Those of you who know me, know I love ACV. ACV? Apple Cider Vinegar people...come on! Worthy of it's own post, it's full of health benefits. I add fresh dandelion flowers and leaves to give it even more of a healthy punch. Plus it's really pretty to look at...

Dandy-Sun Vinegar

2 cups freshly harvested dandelion leaves chopped small

1 cup freshly harvested dandelion flowers (removed from stem)

Apple cider vinegar (the good raw kind - slightly cloudy, not the cheesy clear cheap stuff) Here's what I buy.

Unbleached wax paper

Get a clean, sterile, quart sized mason jar and drop in the leaves

and flowers.

Then pour the ACV on, all the way to the rim. Lay a sheet of the wax paper over the top and then cap tightly. Leave your vinegar on the counter out of direct sunlight and shake it every day. Maybe talk to it a bit and tell it how much you appreciate all the good health benefits you'll be reaping from it...or not. After 3 weeks have passed (4 if you're more patient than I) uncap your jar, strain the leaves and flowers out. Bottle your new Dandy-Sun Vinegar and keep it in the fridge. Take 2 oz a day as a detoxifying tonic, or use it for salad dressings.

Dandy-Sun Dressing

1/2 cup Dandy-Sun Vinegar

1/4 agave

1/4 cup olive oil, flax oil or hemp oil

salt

pepper

Mix well and toss with your salad.

There are a ton of wonderful recipes for using dandelion greens (we like them in our green smoothies). My bloggy friend Kristen just posted a beautiful salad that we'll be trying later this week. Wish I could harvest the blackberries for it too...

i am going through menopause and having water retention, my doc put me on spironolactone for a diuretic, but i dont want to take it as it shows tons of side effect, but reading side effects to dandelion root and leaf tincture, it is scaring me too. My question is will dandelion root and leaf tincture help with fluid retention and if so how long does it usually take to see results, and should i be worried about side effects, and how many drops to start off with, its dandelion root and leaf by gaia herbs? horseluver1964@triad.rr.com

DISCLAIMER

This blog is for informational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or even an expert of any kind! I am simply a mama sharing her thoughts, feelings, recipes and remedies that I use on myself and my family. The herbal information and remedies shared on this blog are not intended to diagnose or cure and I strongly advise you to consult your medical professional before taking herbs in any form. Just because something is natural does not mean it's safe for everyone! Herbs are powerful medicine and can be harmful if taken without knowing the contraindications or adverse effects they may have when mixed with perscription drugs or used in excessive amounts. Not trying to scare you, just trying to say that if you do choose to use herbs (and you should!) please do so responsibly and respect the plant as a whole.